Parents' undertaking: UAF to drop charges against 'rogue' students
Faisalabad: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) administration has decided to grant
pardon to students penalised for attacking the vice-chancellor's house.

The decision came after the disciplinary committee and the vice-chancellor
heard the parents/guardians of such students on Monday, sources told .

Sources said vice-chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad, whose residence was attacked by
some students on the night between Oct 1 and Oct 2, 2010, directed the
disciplinary committee members to call the parents of the expelled students to
obtain from them an undertaking that their children would not commit any
unlawful activity in future.

They said the directorate of the students affairs contacted the parents of
each student and directed them to join proceedings of the disciplinary committee
headed by Sheikh Munir Ahmed on Monday.

According to sources, the parents told the committee members that they were
never informed about the activities of their children. However, they said, they
would not endorse their children's involvement in any illegal activity.

Some of the parents also questioned the grounds on which their wards had been
punished. They also sought proofs of their children's illegal activities. The
committee, however, did not furnish any evidence, sources said.

One of the punished students said that parents of expelled students Umer
Rashid, Asad, Talal, Afifur Rehman and Waqar Randhawa appeared before the
committee.

The disciplinary committee met parents of each student separately and asked
them to give an undertaking that their wards would not become part of any
unlawful activity.

The parents later called on the vice-chancellor who maintained that purpose
of involving the guardians/parents was to save the future of students. The VC
also maintained that the administration was taking corrective measures instead
of punitive ones."The administration does not want to ruin the future of
students, however, they will have to abide by the laws and refrain themselves
from indulging in any illegal activity," the vice-chancellor also told the
parents.

Sources said parents tendered an undertaking to the effect that their wards
shall not involve themselves in acts of indiscipline and abide by all
rules/regulations, instructions framed/issued by the university from time to
time, and if any one committed any, they would be liable to any penal act.

Sources said the administration took the surety/undertaking on a printed
document and only obtained thumb impressions and signatures of fathers/guardians
and students.

Sources said the notification pardoning the students would be issued in a few
a days.

"We are confident that he will always set the bar higher in every coming
exam, and bring laurels to his parents, teachers, institution and Pakistan,"
said Nashat Raffi, Beaconhouse principal.

Mehr Asad, headmistress of Beaconhouse Boys Branch, congratulated Shahid and
his hardworking teachers. "We help students to shine in examinations and groom
them into fine young men who will be responsible and proud Pakistanis."

Shahid Anwar, father of Shahid, said he was delighted and proud over his
son's achievement. Dawn

Scholarships for Afghans announced
Peshawar: Different universities in the provincial metropolis Monday announced scholarships for the
Afghan students and scholars to facilitate their higher studies.

A
delegations of heads of various universities from Afghanistan visited different
varsities and degree awarding institutes including the University of Peshawar
and University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar.

The visit
has been organized by the German foundation, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Separate
memorandums of understanding were signed with the management of both the
universities for awarding scholarships to the Afghan students and scholars.

As per the MoUs, the University of Peshawar would grant admission to 48
Afghan students for accomplishing master's degree and six scholars for doing
MPhil and PhD in the coming academic year. Among them 24 master's level students
would be given fully-funded scholarships. All six MPhil or PhD students would
also be granted fully-funded scholarship.

The UET Peshawar, on the other
hand, offered five postgraduate scholarships to the faculty members of Afghan
universities each year. The joint declaration issued on the occasion of the
delegation's visit to the University of Peshawar (UoP) read that the students
who don't come under the fully-funded scholarships would be charged fee
equivalent to Pakistani students and they would not be considered foreign
students.

The 17-members delegation led by the Chancellor of Kabul
University Prof Hamidullah Amin during a visit to the UoP was given presentation
about higher education in Pakistan at the Area Study Centre. Vice Chancellor
Prof Dr Azmat Hayat Khan welcomed the delegation. He said presently UoP was
hosting over 70 Afghan students. "We are ready to train the faculty of Afghan
universities to build their capacity up to the global standards," he
said.

Dr Azmat Hayat said the UoP could also offer services to the Afghan
universities in refining their courses of studies and curricula. He said the UoP
was the nearest possible foreign venue for higher education for the Afghan
students.

"They must come here to benefit from the faculty and the
state-of-the-art laboratories like centralized resource laboratory," he
remarked.

Chancellor of the Kabul University Prof Hamidullah Amin said
that Afghanistan was in the rebuilding phase and Pakistan could be of great help
the Afghans to regain past glory. "Afghanistan in the last 30 years has faced
severe hardships and it is high time for our neighbours to help the Afghans in
their respective domains so that our children could live a better life," he
argued.

He said the Kabul University established in 1929 was the oldest
institution in Afghanistan. "Due to war, the university lost its tremendous
collection of books and research work. Much of the research work was lost or
looted. Before the war, Kabul University had full-fledged 15 faculties and 74
departments," he explained.

Prof Hamidullah Amin said the university
wasn't working up to its potential due to lack of skilled and qualified faculty.
He added that most of the faculty members had been killed or left for other
countries during the long drawn war in Afghanistan. The chancellor informed that
currently 25 universities were working in the public and 33 in the private
sector with a total enrolment of 100,000 students in Afghanistan.

During
the delegation's visit to the UET, Vice-Chancellor Imtiaz Gilani told the guests
that around 30 students from Afghanistan were getting world-class engineering
education in various disciplines at the university.

Fun gala amuses school children
Islamabad: Fun Gala was arranged for families on the theme 'Jungle' as a celebration on the
inauguration of Roots School System (RSS) Emaar Campus at Defence Housing
Authority (DHA), Islamabad.

The children had numerous attractions like
magic show, puppet show, fashion show, games, singing competition, jumping
castles, tug of war, trampoline, candy floss, pop corns etc. in the fun gala.
The entrance of the gala was colourfully decorated with banners, balloons,
flying clown and flying arch. The ambiance was depicting the jungle life and
moving jungle characters and clowns were an added attraction to the
kids.

The colourful decor on theme had a feeling like moving in a jungle
with animals. The parents and their guests also enjoyed the musical performance
by musical band. At the end of the day children had ample leisure time to
cherish.

Director RSS Faisal Mushtaq sharing his views with parents said
that these sorts of activities create chances to meet and greet each other and
provide timely relaxation also. The news